Technology disruption for development and peace

Everything is going digital around us! Disruptive technologies and their disruptive use models are creating a new world and a different future. Over the last few years, the creation and utilization of technologies has played a critical role to improve the life quality of people, advance economies, and open new horizons for individuals, businesses, and even nations around the world. This is the bright side! On the other side, the world is experiencing nowadays exceptional technology disruption that has triggered an enormous change; a change that is behind the classical control of the governments and local authorities, and fueled by ongoing nonstop innovation and substantial evolution in the means people employ technology. Governments are usually are not aware of these disruption and its effects; even if they are aware, the structure of most governments is not agile enough to deal with such disruptions and governments are not fully taking advantages for such disruption to progress their nations and the whole world on the social and economic levels. Technology disruption is affecting seriously the markets, the governments, the organizations, the monetary system and the employment, and consequently is affecting the lives of the people. In other words, technology is disrupting the classical models on the economic, political and social levels. This is happening at a pace that could lead to an unprecedented advancement coupled with a complete chaos. Therefore, the role of the management of technology has become more vital and critical than ever. A role that should be seriously considered while thinking of the future model of governments. Based on that, the paper outlines the major technological trends, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Shared Economy Platforms, Autonomous Vehicles and Drones, and their possible effect on the economic, political and social levels. Also, the paper draws the future role of the management of technology, as well as the future model of government, in this regards to maximize the positive impact of the technological disruption and minimize the chances that could lead to the chaos. The approach used in the paper is based on thorough analysis of the reports issued by international institutions in the areas of technological disruption and its effect, desk research, and interviews with key personnel in the government, Business Representative Organizations (BROs), NGOs and private sector, in addition to youth, startups and entrepreneurs. © 2020 26th International Association for Management of Technology Conference, IAMOT 2017. All rights reserved.